Why Was the ‘Today’ Show Preempted in New Orleans Friday?

By Chris Ariens 

Screen Shot 2014-06-29 at 8.56.34 AMThe fourth hour of the “Today” show was preempted on NBC affiliate WDSU in New Orleans Friday, because of who was co-hosting.

With Kathie Lee Gifford off, Hoda Kotb invited her best friend Karen Swensen to sit in. One problem: Swensen is the main anchor at WDSU rival WWL, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans.

Instead of seeing Kotb and Swensen together again, New Orleans viewers were treated to a repeat of Queen Latifah’s show on WDSU. Kotb and Swensen met 20 years ago when both worked at WWL. Swensen left to anchor at NECN for a few years, but returned to WWL in 2010.

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The preemption did sit well with some hometown fans.

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For its part, WDSU responded on its Faebook page: “Our decision not to air the fourth hour of the “Today Show” follows a longstanding practice. WDSU does not enable the promotion of anchors on other local television stations through roles as hosts of programs on our television station. We regret the circumstances that required us to make this decision.”

(h/t WWL.com)

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